3 Secrets to Selling Your Clothes Online

In May 2012, Alexandra Marquez sold 10 items from her closet on Poshmark and made $300. Now she’s a full-time power-seller, earning an average of $5,000 per month on the app. For others going the resale route, she shares her best advice for closing an e-deal.

Paint a Realistic Picture.

Photo by Floto + Warner

Show potential buyers exactly what you’re offering to avoid returns. Upload at least four photos taken from multiple angles in soft, natural light. Make sure to hang dresses and blouses against a simple white background. Marquez shoots everything else on a snowy Flotaki rug. (But a white sheet also works just fine.) Zoom in on details (tags, serial numbers, texture, pattern, and any flaws, such as rips or stains) and include at least one image of someone wearing the item to give a sense of how it looks on. If necessary, use a collage-making app like Pic Stitch to squeeze more photos into a site’s allotted slots. Resale sites have a limits on photo quantities, and the number varies widely. On Poshmark, you can only upload four images, but on Tradesy you can add up to 12.

2

Set a Fair Price.

Search the resale site you plan on using to see what similar items sold for and price your goods accordingly. If you can’t find something comparable, look for the original retail price online (or on your credit card statement) or estimate the cost based on what pieces in a label’s current collection are selling for. In general, price gently worn garments from mainstream brands 50 percent off retail; mark down new items 20 percent if the tags are on and 40 percent if they’re off. Since designer goods are so pricey, you’ll probably need to take off 50 to 80 percent, depending on the item’s condition and how in-demand it is, to make a sale. For example, Marquez recently sold a pair of chocolate brown Tory Burch Reva flats (original price: $225) with slightly scuffed toes for $60; a pristine version of the same shoes in a less common python print (originally $235) went for $120.

3

Write a Winning Description.

Marquez likes to lead with a style tip (“Great paired with a scarf and blazer.”) or a fun fact (“Recently seen on Blake Lively!”). Include the brand, size, style name (if known) and material and describe the color, cut, condition and fit. Other helpful info: heel or platform height on shoes, chest measurements on jackets, inseam and waist rise on pants, and the length of dresses and skirts.

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